We've moved into house with a well established garden. The issue is that around the nice trees and shrubs there are overgrown plants that are strangling and crowding out the things we like. It got a bit much for the previous elderly residents to manage.
Worst offenders are a huge bank of Japanese honeysuckle.
Chinese bramble over a rockery area.
Ditch lily over the nicest area for sunny flowers
Creeping buttercup over the veg patch.
Other guys not currently out of control but don't want to allow to completely take over – nettles, three cornered leek, fuchsia (everywhere!) and cotoneaster growing from every speck of a cutting.
Basically, is it worth my while constantly attacking or is every battle going to be a losing one?
ps what is the celery looking thing? Edible?
by CaramelTemporary3898
6 Comments
Chemical warfare is allowed. All the hippies will be up in arms but they won’t turn up to hand dig the place for you. In cases like this glyphosphate is your (only?) friend. God speed.
Whatever you do about it, do it now. If you want to rip them out, dig them out, or blast with RoundUp – do it now/over next few weeks.
I had a completely overgrown garden, took me a few years. But it was a wall of brambles to start with. Discovered a compost bin completely covered by honeysuckle. But I loved it! Nice to do productive physical work outdoors in comparison to sedentary job. Made it into something I loved by the time we moved.
Leather gloves, hiking trousers, hiking jacket, long sleeves essential.
Just pick a corner and start. Divide the garden into sections and do them one at a time.
It may be easier to assume that you will take everything out, including some of the plants that you want to keep. If you are trying to get rid of deep rooted things out is likely that you will damage the existing plants while doing so.
Try not to use chemicals, this can all be done by hand.
I would put all of the roots and stalks I dig up in the green bin. You can start a compost heap when you have the garden under control.
Vinegar and washing up liquid on the stuff you want to get rid of, on the leaves.
Get the stronger vinegar from the Polish shop if you can